Pharmacological Profile of JNJ-64179375: A Novel, Long-Acting Exosite-1 Thrombin Inhibitor.

JNJ-64179375 (JNJ-9375) is a recombinant human IgG4 monoclonal antibody engineered to mimic an IgA antibody that was identified in a patient who exhibited markedly prolonged clotting times but without spontaneous bleeding episodes over several years of follow-up. The crystal structure of the JNJ-9375 antigen-binding fragment/thrombin complex showed an almost identical binding mode to that of the patient IgA. In the current study, we characterized the in vitro and in vivo properties of JNJ-9375. Surface plasmon resonance studies demonstrated that JNJ-9375 binds to α-thrombin with high affinity and specificity (K D: 0.8 nM for human thrombin). JNJ-9375 produced concentration-dependent prolongation of in vitro clotting assays in human plasma, including thrombin time (TT), ecarin clotting time, prothrombin time, and activated partial thromboplastin time, with EC2X values of 4.4, 12.4, 172.6, and 202.7 µg/ml, respectively. JNJ-9375 inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in human plasma with an IC50 value of 52.6 nM (7.8 µg/ml) and produced concentration-dependent prolongation of reaction time tested by thromboelastography. JNJ-9375 pretreatment resulted in dose-dependent reduction in thrombus formation in the rat arteriovenous (AV) shunt model of thrombosis. Robust efficacy was observed at 0.3 mg/kg accompanied by 1.5× of TT. Bleeding was increased at 3 mg/kg in a rat tail transection bleeding model demonstrating a therapeutic index of 10× compared with 1× for apixaban in the same models. Our data suggest that thrombin exosite I inhibition is efficacious against thrombosis in a pretreatment prevention animal model. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: JNJ-9375 is a novel, fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to the exosite I region of thrombin with high affinity and specificity. JNJ-9375 concentration dependently prolonged clotting times and inhibited thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in in vitro assays based on its mechanism of action. In an in vivo rat AV shunt model, JNJ-9375 prevented thrombus formation in a dose-dependent fashion while demonstrating reduced bleeding risk. The present study demonstrated the antithrombotic effects of inhibiting the exosite I region of thrombin when given in a prevention mode in preclinical animal models.

Impact of Cell-surface Antigen Expression on Target Engagement and Function of an Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor × c-MET Bispecific Antibody.

The efficacy of engaging multiple drug targets using bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) is affected by the relative cell-surface protein levels of the respective targets. In this work, the receptor density values were correlated to the in vitro activity of a BsAb (JNJ-61186372) targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and hepatocyte growth factor receptor (c-MET). Simultaneous binding of the BsAb to both receptors was confirmed in vitro. By using controlled Fab-arm exchange, a set of BsAbs targeting EGFR and c-MET was generated to establish an accurate receptor quantitation of a panel of lung and gastric cancer cell lines expressing heterogeneous levels of EGFR and c-MET. EGFR and c-MET receptor density levels were correlated to the respective gene expression levels as well as to the respective receptor phosphorylation inhibition values. We observed a bias in BsAb binding toward the more highly expressed of the two receptors, EGFR or c-MET, which resulted in the enhanced in vitro potency of JNJ-61186372 against the less highly expressed target. On the basis of these observations, we propose an avidity model of how JNJ-61186372 engages EGFR and c-MET with potentially broad implications for bispecific drug efficacy and design.

Epitope mapping and structural basis for the recognition of phosphorylated tau by the anti-tau antibody AT8.

Microtubule-associated protein tau becomes abnormally phosphorylated in Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies and forms aggregates of paired helical filaments (PHF-tau). AT8 is a PHF-tau-specific monoclonal antibody that is a commonly used marker of neuropathology because of its recognition of abnormally phosphorylated tau. Previous reports described the AT8 epitope to include pS202/pT205. Our studies support and extend previous findings by also identifying pS208 as part of the binding epitope. We characterized the phosphoepitope of AT8 through both peptide binding studies and costructures with phosphopeptides. From the cocrystal structure of AT8 Fab with the diphosphorylated (pS202/pT205) peptide, it appeared that an additional phosphorylation at S208 would also be accommodated by AT8. Phosphopeptide binding studies showed that AT8 bound to the triply phosphorylated tau peptide (pS202/pT205/pS208) 30-fold stronger than to the pS202/pT205 peptide, supporting the role of pS208 in AT8 recognition. We also show that the binding kinetics of the triply phosphorylated peptide pS202/pT205/pS208 was remarkably similar to that of PHF-tau. The costructure of AT8 Fab with a pS202/pT205/pS208 peptide shows that the interaction interface involves all six CDRs and tau residues 202-209. All three phosphorylation sites are recognized by AT8, with pT205 acting as the anchor. Crystallization of the Fab/peptide complex under acidic conditions shows that CDR-L2 is prone to unfolding and precludes peptide binding, and may suggest a general instability in the antibody.

An engineered Fc variant of an IgG eliminates all immune effector functions via structural perturbations.

The Fc variant of IgG2, designated as IgG2σ, was engineered with V234A/G237A /P238S/H268A/V309L/A330S/P331S substitutions to eliminate affinity for Fcγ receptors and C1q complement protein and consequently, immune effector functions. IgG2σ was compared to other previously well-characterized Fc 'muted' variants, including aglycosylated IgG1, IgG2m4 (H268Q/V309L/A330S/P331S, changes to IgG4), and IgG4 ProAlaAla (S228P/L234A/L235A) in its capacity to bind FcγRs and activate various immune-stimulatory responses. In contrast to the previously characterized muted Fc variants, which retain selective FcγR binding and effector functions, IgG2σ shows no detectable binding to the Fcγ receptors in affinity and avidity measurements, nor any detectable antibody-dependent cytotoxicity, phagocytosis, complement activity, or Fc-mediated cytokine release. Moreover, IgG2σ shows minimal immunogenic potential by T-cell epitope analysis. The circulating half-life of IgG2σ in monkeys is extended relative to IgG1 and IgG2, in spite of similar in vitro binding to recombinant FcRn. The three-dimensional structure of the Fc, needed for assessing the basis for the absence of effector function, was compared with that of IgG2 revealing a number of conformational differences near the hinge region of the CH2 domain that result from the amino acid substitutions. Modeling reveals that at least one of the key interactions with FcγRs is disrupted by a conformational change that reorients P329 to a position that prevents it from interacting with conserved W90 and W113 residues of the FcγRs. Inspection of the structure also indicated significant changes to the conformations of D270 and P329 in the CH2 domain that could negatively impact C1q binding. Thus, structural perturbations of the Fc provide a rationale for the loss of function. In toto, these properties of IgG2σ suggest that it is a superior alternative to previously described IgG variants of minimal effector function, for future therapeutic applications of non-immunostimulatory mAb and Fc-fusion platforms.

Multivalent human antibody-centyrin fusion protein to prevent and treat Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Treating and preventing infections by antimicrobial-resistant bacterial pathogens is a worldwide problem. Pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus produce an array of virulence determinants, making it difficult to identify single targets for the development of vaccines or monoclonal therapies. We described a human-derived anti-S. aureus monoclonal antibody (mAb)-centyrin fusion protein ("mAbtyrin") that simultaneously targets multiple bacterial adhesins, resists proteolysis by bacterial protease GluV8, avoids Fc engagement by S. aureus IgG-binding proteins SpA and Sbi, and neutralizes pore-forming leukocidins via fusion with anti-toxin centyrins, while maintaining Fc- and complement-mediated functions. Compared with the parental mAb, mAbtyrin protected human phagocytes and boosted phagocyte-mediated killing. The mAbtyrin also reduced pathology, reduced bacterial burden, and protected from different types of infections in preclinical animal models. Finally, mAbtyrin synergized with vancomycin, enhancing pathogen clearance in an animal model of bacteremia. Altogether, these data establish the potential of multivalent mAbs for treating and preventing S. aureus diseases.

"Stapling" scFv for multispecific biotherapeutics of superior properties.

Single-chain fragment variable (scFv) domains play an important role in antibody-based therapeutic modalities, such as bispecifics, multispecifics and chimeric antigen receptor T cells or natural killer cells. However, scFv domains exhibit lower stability and increased risk of aggregation due to transient dissociation ("breathing") and inter-molecular reassociation of the two domains (VL and VH). We designed a novel strategy, referred to as stapling, that introduces two disulfide bonds between the scFv linker and the two variable domains to minimize scFv breathing. We named the resulting molecules stapled scFv (spFv). Stapling increased thermal stability (Tm) by an average of 10°C. In multiple scFv/spFv multispecifics, the spFv molecules display significantly improved stability, minimal aggregation and superior product quality. These spFv multispecifics retain binding affinity and functionality. Our stapling design was compatible with all antibody variable regions we evaluated and may be widely applicable to stabilize scFv molecules for designing biotherapeutics with superior biophysical properties.

Equilibrium and kinetic analysis of human interleukin-13 and IL-13 receptor alpha-2 complex formation.

Interleukin 13 (IL-13) is a pleiotropic cytokine secreted by activated T cells. Both IL-13 and its polymorphic variant (IL-13-R110Q) have been shown to be associated with multiple diseases such as asthma and allergy. Two IL-13 receptors have been identified, IL-13R alpha-1 receptor (IL-13Rα1) and IL-13R alpha-2 receptor (IL-13Rα2). It has been well established that IL-13 binds to IL-13Rα1 alone with low nM affinity while binding to the IL-13Rα1/IL-4R receptor complex is significantly tighter (pM). The affinity between IL-13 and IL-13Rα2, however, remains elusive. Several values have been reported in the literature varying from 20 pM to 2.5 nM. The affinities previously reported were obtained using surface plasmon resonance (SPR) or Scatchard analysis of (125) I-IL-13 binding data. This report presents the results for the kinetics and equilibrium binding analysis studies performed using label-free kinetic exclusion assay (KEA) for the interaction of human IL-13 and IL-13Rα2. KEA equilibrium analysis showed that the affinities of IL-13Rα2 are 107 and 56 pM for IL-13 and its variant (IL-13-R110Q), respectively. KEA kinetic analysis showed that a tight and very stable complex is formed between IL-13Rα2 and IL-13, as shown by calculated dissociation rate constants slower than 5 × 10(-5) per second. Kinetic analysis also showed significant differences in the kinetic behavior of wild type (wt) versus IL-13-R110Q. IL-13-R110Q not only associates to IL-13Rα2 slower than wt human IL-13 (wt-IL-13), as previously reported, but IL-13-R110Q also dissociates slower than wt-IL-13. These results show that IL-13Rα2 is a high affinity receptor and provide a new perspective on kinetic behavior that could have significant implications in the understanding of the role of IL-13-R110Q in the disease state.

Characterization of neutralizing affinity-matured human respiratory syncytial virus F binding antibodies in the sub-picomolar affinity range.

In the human adaptation and optimization of a mouse anti-human respiratory syncytial virus neutralizing antibody, affinity assessment was crucial to distinguish among potential candidates and to evaluate whether this correlated with function in vitro and in vivo. This affinity assessment was complicated by the trimeric nature of the antigen target, respiratory syncytial virus F (RSV-F) glycoprotein. In the initial affinity screen, surface plasmon resonance was used to determine the intrinsic binding affinities of anti-RSV-F Fab and immunoglobulin G (IgG) to the extracellular domain of RSV-F. This assessment required minimal biotinylation of the RSV-F protein and design of a capture strategy to minimize avidity effects. Approximately 30 Fabs were selected from three optimization phage display libraries on the basis of an initial ELISA screen. Surface plasmon resonance analysis demonstrated the success of optimization with some candidates from the screened libraries having low picomolar dissociation constants, more than 700-fold tighter than the parental monoclonal antibody (B21M). The affinities of these antibodies were further evaluated by a kinetic exclusion assay, a solution binding technology. One IgG (monoclonal antibody 029) displayed a low picomolar K(D) comparable with that of motavizumab, an RSV antibody in clinical study. Kinetic exclusion assay showed that two other of the matured IgGs (011 and 019) had sub-picomolar dissociation constants that could not be resolved further. We discuss the relevance of these interaction analysis results in the light of recently published data on the mechanism of F-driven viral fusion during paramyxoviral infection and 101F epitope conservation revealed from the recent crystal structure of RSV-F in the post-fusion state.

Negative regulation of ASK1 by p21Cip1 involves a small domain that includes Serine 98 that is phosphorylated by ASK1 in vivo.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(Cip1) regulates multiple cellular functions and protects cells from genotoxic and other cellular stresses. Activation of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) induced by inhibition of mTOR signaling leads to sustained phospho-c-Jun that is suppressed in cells with functional p53 or by forced expression of p21(Cip1). Here we show that small deletions of p21(Cip1) around S98 abrogate its association with ASK1 but do not affect binding to Cdk1, hence distinguishing between the cell cycle-regulating functions of p21(Cip1) and its ability to suppress activation of the ASK1/Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK) pathway. p21(Cip1) is phosphorylated in vitro by both ASK1 and JNK1 at S98. In vivo phosphorylation of p21(Cip1), predominantly carried out by ASK1, is associated with binding to ASK1 and inactivation of ASK1 kinase function. Binding of p21(Cip1) to ASK1 requires ASK1 kinase function and may involve phosphorylation of S98.

p27 binds cyclin-CDK complexes through a sequential mechanism involving binding-induced protein folding.

p27 controls cell proliferation by binding and regulating nuclear cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). In addition, p27 interacts with other nuclear and cytoplasmic targets and has diverse biological functions. We seek to understand how the structural and dynamic properties of p27 mediate its several functions. We show that, despite showing disorder before binding its targets, p27 has nascent secondary structure that may have a function in molecular recognition. Binding to Cdk2-cyclin A is accompanied by p27 folding, and kinetic data suggest a sequential mechanism that is initiated by binding to cyclin A. p27 regulates CDK-cyclin complexes involved directly in cell cycle control and does not interact with other closely related CDKs. We show that p27-cyclin interactions are an important determinant of this specificity and propose that the homologous cell cycle regulators p21 and p57 function by a similar sequential, folding-on-binding mechanism.

Free sulfhydryl measurement as an indicator of antibody stability.

Monoclonal antibodies are a major subclass of biopharmaceuticals. They are structurally different from other biopharmaceuticals in size and quaternary structure. Here we demonstrate a correlation between chemical stability of antibodies and thermal stability. We show that overall thermal protein stability can be predicted based on the measurement of free sulfhydryl (-SH) content on applying mildly denaturing conditions. We propose that this method can be adapted to a high-throughput screening format and used either as an absolute measure of thermal stability or for ranking a panel of possible variants.

Human IgG subclass cross-species reactivity to mouse and cynomolgus monkey Fcγ receptors.

In therapeutic antibody discovery and early development, mice and cynomolgus monkey are used as animal models to assess toxicity, efficacy and other properties of candidate molecules. As more candidate antibodies are based on human immunoglobulin (IgG) subclasses, many strategies are pursued to simulate the human system in the test animal. However, translation rate from a successful preclinical trial to an approved drug is extremely low. This may partly be due to differences in interaction of human IgG based candidate molecules to endogenous Fcγ receptors of model animals in comparison to those of human Fcγ receptors. In this study, we compare binding characteristics of human IgG subclasses commonly used in drug development (IgG1, IgG2, IgG4) and their respective Fc silent versions (IgG1σ, IgG2σ, IgG4 PAA) to human, mouse, and cynomolgus monkey Fcγ receptors. To control interactions between Fab and Fc domains, the test IgGs all have the same variable region sequences. We found distinct variations of interaction of human IgG subclasses to model animal Fcγ receptors in comparison to their human counterparts. Particularly, cynomolgus monkey Fcγ receptors showed consistently tighter binding to human IgGs than human Fcγ receptors. Moreover, the presumably Fc silent human IgG4 PAA framework bound to cynomolgus monkey FcγRI with nanomolar affinity while only very weak binding was observed for the human FcγRI. Our results highlighted the need for a thorough in vitro affinity characterization of candidate IgGs against model animal Fcγ receptors and careful design of preclinical studies.

Unique pharmacology of a novel allosteric agonist/sensitizer insulin receptor monoclonal antibody.

OBJECTIVE: Insulin resistance is a key feature of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), and improving insulin sensitivity is important for disease management. Allosteric modulation of the insulin receptor (IR) with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can enhance insulin sensitivity and restore glycemic control in animal models of T2D. METHODS: A novel human mAb, IRAB-A, was identified by phage screening using competition binding and surface plasmon resonance assays with the IR extracellular domain. Cell based assays demonstrated agonist and sensitizer effects of IRAB-A on IR and Akt phosphorylation, as well as glucose uptake. Lean and diet-induced obese mice were used to characterize single-dose in vivo pharmacological effects of IRAB-A; multiple-dose IRAB-A effects were tested in obese mice. RESULTS: In vitro studies indicate that IRAB-A exhibits sensitizer and agonist properties distinct from insulin on the IR and is translated to downstream signaling and function; IRAB-A bound specifically and allosterically to the IR and stabilized insulin binding. A single dose of IRAB-A given to lean mice rapidly reduced fed blood glucose for approximately 2 weeks, with concomitant reduced insulin levels suggesting improved insulin sensitivity. Phosphorylated IR (pIR) from skeletal muscle and liver were increased by IRAB-A; however, phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) levels were only elevated in skeletal muscle and not liver vs. control; immunochemistry analysis (IHC) confirmed the long-lived persistence of IRAB-A in skeletal muscle and liver. Studies in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice with IRAB-A reduced fed blood glucose and insulinemia yet impaired glucose tolerance and led to protracted insulinemia during a meal challenge. CONCLUSION: Collectively, the data suggest IRAB-A acts allosterically on the insulin receptor acting non-competitively with insulin to both activate the receptor and enhance insulin signaling. While IRAB-A produced a decrease in blood glucose in lean mice, the data in DIO mice indicated an exacerbation of insulin resistance; these data were unexpected and suggested the interplay of complex unknown pharmacology. Taken together, this work suggests that IRAB-A may be an important tool to explore insulin receptor signaling and pharmacology.

Generation, characterization and biological activity of CCL2 (MCP-1/JE) and CCL12 (MCP-5) specific antibodies.

The human CCL2 chemokine is implicated in many chronic inflammatory conditions. In the mouse, there are two CCL2 homologues, CCL2 (MCP-1/JE) and CCL12 (MCP-5). Both are potent monocyte chemoattractants and bind to and activate the same receptor, CCR2. The overlapping activities of these chemokines complicate the design of mouse model studies that are intended to mimic human disease. To study the roles of CCL2 and CCL12, we generated neutralizing antibodies specific to each chemokine. Consistent with binding and affinity analyses, the antibodies specifically inhibited CCL2- or CCL12- mediated Ca(2+) mobilization in THP-1 cells. When tested in nude mice bearing human PANC-1 pancreatic tumor cells in Matrigel plugs, CCL2 and CCL12 antibodies potently inhibited tumor angiogenesis, indicating that both CCL2 and CCL12 may contribute to tumor angiogenesis.

Novel Monoclonal Antibody Is an Allosteric Insulin Receptor Antagonist That Induces Insulin Resistance.

A hallmark of type 2 diabetes is impaired insulin receptor (IR) signaling that results in dysregulation of glucose homeostasis. Understanding the molecular origins and progression of diabetes and developing therapeutics depend on experimental models of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. We present a novel monoclonal antibody, IRAB-B, that is a specific, potent IR antagonist that creates rapid and long-lasting insulin resistance. IRAB-B binds to the IR with nanomolar affinity and in the presence of insulin efficiently blocks receptor phosphorylation within minutes and is sustained for at least 3 days in vitro. We further confirm that IRAB-B antagonizes downstream signaling and metabolic function. In mice, a single dose of IRAB-B induces rapid onset of hyperglycemia within 6 h, and severe hyperglycemia persists for 2 weeks. IRAB-B hyperglycemia is normalized in mice treated with exendin-4, suggesting that this model can be effectively treated with a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Finally, a comparison of IRAB-B with the IR antagonist S961 shows distinct antagonism in vitro and in vivo. IRAB-B appears to be a powerful tool to generate both acute and chronic insulin resistance in mammalian models to elucidate diabetic pathogenesis and evaluate therapeutics.

Molecular basis for the specificity of p27 toward cyclin-dependent kinases that regulate cell division.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (CKIs) bind to and directly regulate the catalytic activity of cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk)/cyclin complexes involved in cell cycle control and do not regulate other, closely related Cdks. We showed previously that the CKI, p27, binds to Cdk2/cyclin A though a sequential mechanism that involves folding-on-binding. The first step in the kinetic mechanism is interaction of a small, highly dynamic domain of p27 (domain 1) with the cyclin subunit of the Cdk2/cyclin A complex, followed by much slower binding of a more lengthy and less flexible domain (domain 2) to Cdk2. The second step requires folding of domain 2 into the kinase inhibitory conformation. Rapid binding of p27 domain 1 to cyclin A tethers the inhibitor to the binary Cdk2/cyclin A complex, which reduces the entropic barrier associated with slow binding of domain 2 to the catalytic subunit. We show here that p27/cyclin interactions are an important determinant of p27 specificity towards cell cycle Cdks. We used surface plasmon resonance, limited proteolysis, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy to study the interaction of p27 with Cdk2/cyclin A, and with another Cdk complex, Cdk5/p25, that is involved in neurodegeneration. Importantly, Cdk5/p35 (the parent complex of Cdk5/p25) is not regulated by p27 in neurons. Our results show that p27 binds to Cdk5 and Cdk2 with similar, slow kinetics. However, p27 fails to interact with p25 within the Cdk5/p25 complex, which we believe prevents formation of a kinetically trapped, inhibited p27/Cdk5/p25 complex in vivo. The helical topology of p25 is very similar to that of cyclin A. However, p25 lacks the MRAIL sequence in one helix that, in the cell cycle cyclins, mediates specific interactions with domain 1 of p21 and p27. Our results strongly suggest that p21 and p27, related Cdk inhibitors, select their cell cycle regulatory Cdk targets by binding specifically to the cyclin subunit of these Cdk/cyclin complexes as a first step in a sequential, folding-on-binding mechanism.

A rapid method for generating and characterizing anti-variable region monoclonal antibodies.

The generation of anti-variable region monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against therapeutic antibodies is essential in the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) assessments of the drugs in clinical study samples. Sandwich EIA and other methods are typically employed to achieve sensitivity and selectivity for the PK/PD analyses. These assays usually require generation of mAb reagents that bind specifically to the therapeutic mAb candidate in non-competing pair combinations. Thus, large panels of anti-variable region mAbs must be generated in an expeditious manner to increase the probability of success. Previously, we described a novel immunization method using type 1 interferons (IFNs) coupled with an agonistic anti-CD40 mAb to drive immune responses (Staquet et al., Human Antibodies 15 (2006), 61-69). This protocol allows for rapid and robust generation of large panels of anti-variable region mAbs. In order to quickly characterize and efficiently identify optimal anti-variable region antibody pairs early in the hybridoma process using crude supernatants, an inexpensive, high-throughput ELISA method was developed. The ability to rapidly identify appropriate mAb pairs will save resources by eliminating the time-consuming and laborious process of subcloning irrelevant hybridomas.

Recognition of T*G mismatched base pairs in DNA by stacked imidazole-containing polyamides: surface plasmon resonance and circular dichroism studies.

An imidazole-containing polyamide trimer, f-ImImIm, where f is a formamido group, was recently found using NMR methods to recognize T*G mismatched base pairs. In order to characterize in detail the T*G recognition affinity and specificity of imidazole-containing polyamides, f-ImIm, f-ImImIm and f-PyImIm were synthesized. The kinetics and thermodynamics for the polyamides binding to Watson-Crick and mismatched (containing one or two T*G, A*G or G*G mismatched base pairs) hairpin oligonucleotides were determined by surface plasmon resonance and circular dichroism (CD) methods. f-ImImIm binds significantly more strongly to the T*G mismatch-containing oligonucleotides than to the sequences with other mismatched or with Watson-Crick base pairs. Compared with the Watson-Crick CCGG sequence, f-ImImIm associates more slowly with DNAs containing T*G mismatches in place of one or two C*G base pairs and, more importantly, the dissociation rate from the T*G oligonucleotides is very slow (small k(d)). These results clearly demonstrate the binding selectivity and enhanced affinity of side-by-side imidazole/imidazole pairings for T*G mismatches and show that the affinity and specificity increase arise from much lower k(d) values with the T*G mismatched duplexes. CD titration studies of f-ImImIm complexes with T*G mismatched sequences produce strong induced bands at approximately 330 nm with clear isodichroic points, in support of a single minor groove complex. CD DNA bands suggest that the complexes remain in the B conformation.

Energetic basis for selective recognition of T*G mismatched base pairs in DNA by imidazole-rich polyamides.

To complement available structure and binding results and to develop a detailed understanding of the basis for selective molecular recognition of T.G mismatches in DNA by imidazole containing polyamides, a full thermodynamic profile for formation of the T.G-polyamide complex has been determined. The amide-linked heterocycles f-ImImIm and f-PyImIm (where f is formamido group, Im is imidazole and Py is pyrrole) were studied by using biosensor-surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) with a T.G mismatch containing DNA hairpin duplex and a similar DNA with only Watson-Crick base pairs. Large negative binding enthalpies for all of the polyamide-DNA complexes indicate that the interactions are enthalpically driven. SPR results show slower complex formation and stronger binding of f-ImImIm to the T.G than to the match site. The thermodynamic analysis indicates that the enhanced binding to the T.G site is the result of better entropic contributions. Negative heat capacity changes for the complex are correlated with calculated solvent accessible surface area changes and indicate hydrophobic contributions to complex formation. DNase I footprinting analysis in a long DNA sequence provided supporting evidence that f-ImImIm binds selectively to T.G mismatch sites.

CCL22-specific Antibodies Reveal That Engagement of Two Distinct Binding Domains on CCL22 Is Required for CCR4-mediated Function.

CCL22 inactivation in vivo occurs by cleavage at the N-terminus; however, it is unclear whether this encompasses the entire site of CCR4 interaction. CCL17 also binds CCR4 and its function requires binding via two discrete binding sites. Using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), we report that there are two separate sites on CCL22 that are required for CCR4-mediated function. The CCL22-specific antibodies bind with affinities of 632 ± 297 pM (MC2B7) and 308 ± 43 pM (MAB4391) and neither exhibited detectable binding to CCL17. Both antibodies are comparable in their ability to inhibit CCL22-mediated calcium mobilization; however, competition binding studies demonstrate that MC2B7 and MAB4391 bind to distinct epitopes on CCL22. Both antibodies inhibit function through CCR4, which is demonstrated by loss of ß-arrestin recruitment in a reporter cell line. In both assays, blocking either site independently abolished CCL22 function, suggesting that concurrent engagement of both sites with CCR4 is necessary for function. This is the first demonstration that CCL22 has two distinct binding sites that are required for CCR4 function. These antibodies are valuable tools for better understanding the interaction and function of CCL22 and CCR4 and will potentially help further understanding of the differential outcomes of CCL17 and CCL22 interaction with CCR4.